Stepladder



MY 20, 1930- E. A`. sTRAUss 1,759,424

lS'PE1-"LADDEE y Filed June 50, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 20, 1930 UNITED. STA-TES PATENT oFFl-cs EMIL A. sTRAUss, F WILMETTEfILLINoIs, AssrGNoR To EDWARD E. sTRAUss, 0F

, WILMETTE, 4ILLINOIS f STEPLADDEB,

ApplicatimiA area June 3o,

kders,such as areused in vaults and like Its object is to provide such a device which can be easilyy moved about, which normally runs upon wheels,but which rests yfirmly and st'ationarily upon the mounts it.

Consistently,vthe step or step ladder of my invention is of light construction, which in itself forms a feature of' my invention, and is mounted upon wheels through resilient means offering enough strength to keep the step or ladder itself` off the floor but not enough to sustain the weight of a person, they result being that whenA a. person mounts it his or her weight brings thefeet 'of the structure down onto the floor, thus eliminating the possibility of its rolling out from under one.

Other features of my invention will appear and be made point of as this description f proceeds. f

In the accompanying drawings Figure l 1s a slde elevational view of a ladder embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational viewv thereof Figure 3 1s a vertical sectional view, taken i substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view, taken on substantially the line 4-4 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the roller suporting channel member shown in Figure 4.

The ladder illustrated in the drawings is,

' preferably, of light metal, such as aluminum,

and comprises side frame or spiders 6. The main web portions 7 to 15, inclusive, of the spiders 6 are of flat material and the edges 16 to 20, inclusive, are bent at an angle with the' portions 7 to 15, inclusive, thereby forming stiffening flanges for the spiders. In order to reenlorce the spiders 6 more thoroughly, I have provided angle bars 21 secured to the web members 11 by means of rivets 22, as shown in Figure 3 and positioned so that the laterally extending flanges project inwardly. A similar angle bar 24, positioned horizontally and secured by rivets 25 to the web member, 10, reenforces the same. A channel member 26, having its flanges 27 extending inwardly,

ground when a person 1928. Serial' No. 289,338.

is positioned horizontally andv is secured'by rivets 28 to the inwardly extending flanges 161 in reenforcing this portion of the ladder. f

' In order effectively to y brace the ladder from rocking sideways, I have provided braces V29 crossing and Ybeing secured together by a bolt or rivet 30 in the center of the back of' the ladder. The ends 31 and 32 of the braces 29 are rigidly secured to the upper and l'ower ends, respectively, of the flanges 16, as best shown in Figure 3. l v

The upper step of the ladder is formedof a piece of sheet metal', positioned over thel upper ends of the si-de members 6 and seated o'n the flanges 20 thereof. The top 40'of the step is substantially level and fiat andthe edges 41 and 42 are bent downwardly and again bent inwardly at 48`1and'44, respec-r tively, in such a manner 'that' no sharp or ragged edges are visible.

Suitable handles 45,- consisting of 'cast 'Y aluminum tubing, are preferably secured ad?A jacent the endsfof the upper step, by mea-nsof i on the'rear portion of the spiders 6' and aids ends yof the step 40 are bent down, forming` 'flanges 47, which are secured to thefweb member 15, by means of suitable rivets 48 and the frontflange 42- is secured' to the member Y 17 in like manner, by means of arivet 49;

The lower step 50 is formed of'lsheet' metal?,

in substantially thesame way as that described for the upperv step 40. The step 50'i's seated, on the upper flange 5 1 ofV webV member 14 and it is provided-with the downwardly turned portions 52and 53 and the inward-v ly turnedI portions 54 andy 55,7as shown. rivets 56 secure the end flanges 57 to the web member 14 andthe rivets 5.8`secure the front flange or downwardly bent portion 5 3'to the flanges 18 on the end frames.

I preferablyp-rov-ide feet 60 for the-ladder,` which feet consist of aluminum castings fitted in the; angle of theleg portions 61 ofthe side frame members 6for supporting the load when a person stands thereon.

In order that the ladder may be moved The about as desired, when fno weight is uponit,

I havev provided rollers65, 65 journalled lin U-shaped brackets 66, 66, by means of pins 67, 67, these U-shaped brackets being secured at their upper ends, by means of rivets 68, 68, to leaf'spring members 69, 69, secured by bolts 7.0, 70, to the inside of the channel members 7l, 71, extending laterally of the ladder from one side member 6 to the other and secured theretoV byrivets or bolts 7 2. This arrangement is clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5. Y

The spring members are of such strength, and the latter` structure isof such weight, that whennothing'isupon the latter it will n bel heldY olf the lfloor, as shown inV Figure 4.

Furthermore, ythe strength of the spring membersis limited to such a vpoint'that when. a person steps upon .the ladder they will flex to permit the feet of the ladder to rest firm? ly'onfthe floor.' Each endof the leaf spring 69 passes tlirou h tlie upwardly disposed Us shaped bracket 3 having washers 74, which y are secured to the nside portions 75 of the channel member 7l,-byniea ns of a pivot bolt 76.` Thepurpose of this arrangement is to limit the movementV or flexing of the' spring 69, so that when theladder is lifted or moved f V about,"by means of the. handles 45, the roll# ers will not extend below-their Anor-mal roll'- `ing position, illustrated in Figure 4. The

positionwhichthe structure assumes relative `to the-floor when weight is placed upon it is indicated in dotted lines'in Figure 4.

Two channelfmember vassemblies, of the typesho'wn inFigure, are employed with each ladder, as shown in Figure 3, extending transversely 'off the front l and rear portions thereof. From Figure 1 it will beY noted that the rear portions 8 and-9 of theendfmembers 6 are formedso as to slope forwardly toward thegtopwfor the p urposeofv clearing the swing-'open' doors'of the lower vault boxes Y even thoughfthebase of the ladder touches L the Wall.

I claimzv AY stepVv or ladder comprising a frame', feet on said frame for supporting said lad,u

der, roller assemblies on said frame on which Y the ladder is adaptedk to be moved, each ofV said assemblies comprising acliannel member. rigidly secured to 'said frame, a kleaf spring ink said channel member, rollers Vse.-

cured adjacent the ,endsy of said spring, and

means for limiting downward lflexing of said Hspring. l

3. A step or ladder comprising a frame, end members forsaid frame, -means for se'- curingl said end members in spaced relation, tread members on said frame, roller assemblies for supporting saidframe, said roller assemblies comprising channel members rigidly secured to said end members, a leaf spring in each ofsaid channel members, aV U-sliaped bracket secured adjacent each end Aof said leaf spring, rollers journalled inYV said U`sliaped brackets, and means secured within said channel members for limiting the flexing of Ythe spring. l f

k4. A step or ladder comprising a frame, a pair of channel members mountedfat the Vbottom of said frame, leaf springs mounted in` each of saidV channel'members, and a roller Vcarried by each of said leaf springs.

5. A step for ladder Vcoinprisinga framework including a downwardly opening channel member at the bottom thereof, 'av leaf spring anchoredv within said channelmem- Vber with its' free end adapted to work inwardly andoutwardly of saidchannel member, and a roller mounted on said free end ,of said leaf spring.

Y 6. A step or ladder comprisingintegral zeV metal side spiders, cross members connecting' said spiders, the crossjmembers at the bot# toms thereof being in the form ofidownwardly opening channels, andv rollers resil' ientlyinounted from within said channels.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 26thjday of June,1928. l EMILVA. YSTRAUSS.V 

